


My Best Friend's Son

by soul_writerr



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Barisi endgame, Crack Treated Seriously, Developing Relationship, Family Fluff, Flirting, Fluff, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mother-Son Relationship, NOT romantic barson, NOT romantic benisi, Olivia and Rafael are best friends, Olivia is Sonny's mother, Romance, Unresolved Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-15
Updated: 2019-04-19
Packaged: 2020-01-14 14:12:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,511
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18477883
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/soul_writerr/pseuds/soul_writerr
Summary: Rafael would never put his friendship with Olivia at risk, but when he meets her son, Sonny Carisi, it becomes impossible to keep things platonic between them. Now, should he tell Olivia he's going out with her son?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Getting Help](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18191309) by [soul_writerr](https://archiveofourown.org/users/soul_writerr/pseuds/soul_writerr). 



> For all my twitter mutuals: this is your fault. Your jokes and hcs about Sonny being Olivia's son did this. 
> 
> Fair warning: READ THE TAGS. If you don't ship Barisi, don't read this. This ISN'T barson nor benisi.
> 
> Enjoy!!

Rafael clicked his briefcase shut as he let out a long sigh, accompanied by an amused chuckle from Olivia as she stood up. Today had been rough. They had just spent almost two hours going over statements, trying to find a way to get a motion to dismiss thrown out. First thing in the morning, Rafael had the mission of finding at least two precedents to back up his argument.

He needed a drink and a nice meal before that, though.

“Would you like to join me at Forlini’s?,” he asked, rolling his sleeves back down and smoothing the fabric out as he got ready to leave his office for the day.  

Olivia shook her head. “Can’t. My son is over at mine cooking us dinner,” she checked her watch and sighed. “If I leave right now I’ll only be one hour late.”

“Home-cooked meal? I’m jealous,” he smirked, grabbing his suit jacket and shrugging it on as Olivia did the same with her coat.

She laughed. “You should be, he’s a great cook.”

“I’ve known you for over two years and I’ve never met this mysterious son of yours, where is he hiding?,” Rafael teased.

“He’s the opposite of mysterious, Rafael,” Olivia chuckled. “He’s literally the biggest open book you’ll ever meet. But he works at a local precinct in Brooklyn, so he’s hardly ever on this side of the bridge.”

Rafael’s eyebrows went up and he threw her an amused look. “He’s a cop? I should have known, with such a great influence.”

“Funny,” she scoffed. “But actually it would be good if you met him. He’s been thinking about going into law school for a while now, maybe you could give him some advice.”

“Bring him to my office and I’ll make sure to advise him to do literally anything else,” he said as he made his way to the door, opening it for Olivia to exit first with a wink.

“He’s very passionate about it,” she started as he locked the door behind them, and Rafael thought he could detect a hint of pride in her voice. “He thinks he can make a bigger difference if he’s able to hand a case to the DA’s office with a pretty, perfect bow on top.”

“Well, he’s certainly idealistic,” Rafael chuckled.

“Truthfully I think I may have raised him with his morals and ethics too strong,” she said mockingly as they walked towards the elevators. “Nothing shakes him more than a cop who thinks they need to break the law to do their job.”

“Like mother, like son,” he joked, smirking. “To be honest, working with a cop who actually knows the law would probably spare me a handful of headaches. You blue bloods certainly love to walk around the edges of what’s justice and what the law allows.”

“I have no idea what you mean,” Olivia turned her chin up, throwing Rafael a side-glance as they stepped inside the lift.

“Oh yeah?,” Rafael mocked. “Should I bring up Rollins’ latest attempt at a honey trap? If she actually knew the law, she’d know she was putting herself at risk for nothing. All the evidence was thrown out thanks to that little stunt.”

“You’ve already grilled her _and me_ about that, Rafa,” she sighed.

“Yes, so maybe your son’s got the right idea,” he scoffed.

“I’ll make sure to tell him you approve, he’ll be ecstatic,” Olivia said, and Rafael had a feeling she was telling the truth, and not mocking him. “He’s read a lot of your cases.”

“Does he know we’re friends?,” he asked curiously.

“He read your cases _because_ we’re friends,” Olivia held the elevator door as Rafael stepped out, and together they made their way out of 1 Hogan Place and  into the night air.

“Ah, you talk about me, do you?,”  Rafael asked, amused.

“Only because you’re a pain in the ass and I need to vent about it sometimes,” she shrugged, her eyes twinkling in amusement as they came to a halt in the sidewalk. Rafael’s Uber was one minute away, and Olivia’s car was parked on the other side of the street.

“Your kindness is oh so very touching, Olivia,” he snorted. “I’m actually curious now. Bring him around one of these days, I’d like to hear some more of his optimistic ideas.”

Olivia laughed. “I will. But don’t say I didn’t warn you when he goes all lawyer-wannabe on you.”

“I wouldn’t expect any less,” he smirked just as he spotted his car. “Night, Liv. Enjoy your delicious meal.”

“Enjoy Forlini’s,” she called back. “Don’t stay out too late, we’ve got more work in the morning.”

“I don’t know, I might just quit before then,” Rafael teased.

“You’d never do that to me, Rafa,” Olivia shot him a winning smile and waved him goodbye.

Rafael smiled back, but only after he closed the car door behind him and greeted his driver. Olivia could never know just how right she was.

* * *

 Olivia hadn’t brought up the subject again and Rafael somewhat forgot about it. They didn’t talk about her son that often, so there wasn’t any prompting or opening for them to broach the subject again.

Then two weeks later, on a slow Tuesday afternoon, the Lieutenant knocked on his door and walked in, unannounced, like she often did - Olivia was the only person allowed to breeze through Carmen. However, the man that came trailing after her wasn’t someone Rafael knew.

He was tall, lean, with piercing blue eyes and hair that seemed to change shades as he moved into the room. As he first stepped in, Rafael thought the strands were a dark shade of blonde, but as he approached, he noticed he was greying around the temples and his stylish coif seemed to be a mix of gold and silver.

There was an easy confidence about him that intrigued Rafael, and he held his gaze when their eyes met. Slowly, Rafael smirked, and the other man responded with a lopsided grin that showed a deep dimple on his cheek.

They still hadn’t broken the eye contact when Olivia spoke. “Barba, remember that I told you my son was looking to go into Law school?”

Oh no.

Rafael blinked, turning to look at Olivia and feeling like the world was playing a very distasteful prank on him.

“Well, here he is,” she said, patting the man beside her on the shoulder with a fond smile. “Rafael Barba, let me introduce you to Dominick Carisi.”

“Please, call me Sonny,” the man interjected, taking a step towards Rafael to offer him a hand to shake.

Back when Rafael and Olivia were still tentative about their friendship, she told him all about her beloved son. She had met a guy when she was 24, they had an on and off kind of relationship, and one day she found herself pregnant. The guy was a good Italian Catholic and immediately asked her to marry him, but she said no.

Nevertheless, he was there through the whole pregnancy, and they lived together for two years. Then, the guy graduated med school and moved to Staten Island. He was still an active part of his son’s life, and Olivia was more than relieved with the way things turned out.

However, Rafael had alwyas thought of him as a random boy, Olivia’s child. He knew how old Olivia was and that put Sonny in his early thirties, but Rafael had never put too much thought into that bit of information. Not until he was faced with the man who looked absolutely nothing like Olivia, and very much like an obscenely attractive man who was exactly Rafael’s type.

Sonny stood there in a wide stance, assessing Rafael with a curious, interested gaze, and Rafael was hooked.

No.

This was his friend’s son, he wasn’t about to make this inappropriate for any of them. So he took Sonny’s hand and shook it firmly, keeping a neutral expression.

“Olivia has told me a lot about you,” he said with a curt nod, dropping his hand as quickly as possible. Sonny’s hand hovered in the air for a second too long.

“Likewise,” Sonny snorted. “I’ve heard you make her a little crazy.”

Rafael shrugged. “It’s a talent.”

Olivia chuckled. “I was telling Sonny you had some words of advice for him regarding Law school.”

“Ah, I wouldn’t call it words of advice,” he waved a hand. “It’s more of a warning.”

Sonny laughed, and the sound was deep and full, immediately turning Rafael’s attention back to him. Unfortunately, his laugh was interrupted by Olivia’s phone ringing, way too loud for Rafael’s liking. She shot them both an apologetic look and took a few steps away to take the call.

“So, I’ve read quite a few of your cases,” Sonny started with a little smile. “You’re ruthless, Counselor.”

Rafael smirked. “Hm. Ruthless? Most people call it something else.”

Sonny’s smile widened. “I guessed your style didn’t make you many friends. But your conviction rate speaks for itself.”

“I guess you really did read up on me, then,” he said, sounding impressed.

“Yeah, I was interested,” Sonny shrugged, but there was something of a challenge in his eyes, and Rafael always did love a challenge. Then suddenly, he reminded himself again that this was Olivia’s son. And she was right there in the room with them, talking in hushed whispers on the phone.

“Well, you see, I promised Olivia I’d try my best to make you uninterested, so I thought I could tell you a few myths about Law schools to start off,” he joked slightly, actually half-intending to tell the other man all the downsides of being a prosecutor. Not because he promised Olivia, he actually hadn’t, but because he genuinely wished someone had taken the time to talk to him about these things back when he was trying to make a decision about his future.

“I really appreciate you taking the time, Counselor,” Sonny said politely, then shot him a lopsided smirk. “But from what I’ve seen, it’s gonna take a lot more to make me lose interest.”

The bastard was actually blatantly flirting with him. Rafael almost gave him an approving nod.

Wait, no. Not _bastard_ , this was _Olivia Benson’s son_.

Christ.

He really needed to get a grip.

“Sorry, guys,” Olivia herself broke his internal beatdown, and Rafael felt like he was hiding a really big secret. “That was Rollins, she caught a break on the serial rapist we’ve been investigating, I gotta run.”

Sonny looked incredibly disappointed, and Rafael allowed himself to enjoy that for half a second, before he stood up to say his goodbyes. Sonny, however, was having none of it.

“I still have so much I’d like to talk to you about,” he told Rafael. He seemed to suddenly have an insight, and reached inside his pocket for his car keys, offering it to Olivia. “Here, take my car. I’ll stay awhile and take an Uber back down the precinct later, if that’s okay with you, Counselor.”

Rafael blinked, then nodded. “Yeah, sure, I’m on my lunch break anyway.”

“It’s almost 3pm, Rafael,” Olivia reprimanded, taking Sonny’s keys.

“You know me, Liv,” he smiled tightly at her, sitting back down on his chair as he watched mother and son say their goodbyes and quickly try to arrange who’s picking up who later.

When the door closed behind Olivia, leaving Sonny alone with Rafael, he suddenly felt like his office was the smallest shoebox in the world. He turned his head towards Sonny, and the look he got was way too similar to one a hunter would give their prey.

“So Counselor, what are we having for lunch?,” Sonny asked, his voice low and smooth.

Rafael swallowed hard.

He was _screwed_.

* * *

Rafael had no idea how his day took a turn to this; sitting on his couch with Olivia’s son beside him, each of them with a box of Chinese food in hand. He was caught off guard by how easy-going Sonny was, and felt a certain giddiness building as they chatted.

“I hear you work in a local precinct in Brooklyn,” Rafael said casually, making sure not to lean towards Olivia’s worrying tone whenever she mentioned she thought the man was working too much overtime.

“Yeah, not quite the elite squad,” Sonny winked, and Rafael was surprised to find he didn’t sound self-deprecating in his teasing. “But the team is amazing. They’re quite enthusiastic about misdemeanours.”

He laughed. “God, I remember only having to worry about those.”

“You used to work for Brooklyn’s DA office though, didn’t you?”

“Yes, before I transferred here about two and a half years ago,” Rafael nodded. “I gotta say, Manhattan’s definitely a whole different kind of headache.”

Sonny chuckled. “I’ve heard. I wonder if we ever missed each other around Brooklyn. My precinct doesn’t work as closely to their ADAs as I’d like us to, but I’ve been in the courthouse more times than I can count over the last five years.”

Rafael considered it for a moment, watching Sonny as he took another mouthful of Kung Pao chicken. He worked for the Brooklyn DA for almost 10 years, and he’d spent most of that time in the courthouse, of course. He’d never worked with Sonny’s precinct, he was sure of that, even though he’d heard other ADAs talking about how much of a headache the 99th precinct could be.

However, Rafael was positive that if he’d ever even caught a glimpse of Sonny in the corridors, he’d remember it. The man was hard to miss with his bright baby blue eyes and easy smile, not to mention that he was _all_ legs. Rafael was a sucker for tall men.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you around there,” he replied honestly, tilting his head slightly.

Sonny smirked. “I’m sure I haven’t seen you, I’d _definitely_ remember it,” he winked when he looked up from his food. “But I wonder if we ever came close to meeting before.”

Rafael suddenly had the feeling that Sonny was one of those people who wholeheartedly believed in fate, destiny, everything happens for a reason, and whatnot. “Well, we’re here now,” he shrugged.

Sonny’s smile was blinding.

They ate in amicable silence for a while, and Rafael could see from the corner of his eye that Sonny kept stealing glances at him beating bites. If he sat up a bit straighter after he noticed that, it was purely a coincidence, he was definitely _not_ peacocking.

“So,” Sonny started once he set his empty take out box on the coffee table and took a big gulp of water. “Is this the moment you tell me becoming a lawyer would be a big mistake?”

Rafael laughed. “Definitely not. I was just a little skeptic of your reasoning behind why you’d want to go into Law school.”

“Wanting to help people isn’t a good enough reason?,” Sonny raised an eyebrow, leaning comfortably back into the couch.

“It’s a start, but it won’t keep you from ripping both your eyes out when you’re elbows deep into your law & practice books,” Rafael set his container next to Sonny’s on the desk and leaned back into the couch, turning to him with a determined look on his face. “You need a passion behind it, something that drives you forward despite you wanting to jump out of a window.”

Sonny snorted, then turned slightly towards Rafael, his arm coming to rest along the back of the couch. Rafael blinked rapidly to distract himself from the fact that this couch wasn’t that big, and Sonny’s hand was right behind his neck.

“What drove _you_?,” he asked, his eyes sparkling.

“I’m a first-generation Cuban-American and a gay man,” Rafael smirked. “My sole existence drove me.”

Rafael had expected Sonny to laugh, but his face was set in a fierce expression, and he licked his lips before nodding.

“I see what you mean,” Sonny said softly, sounding serious. “I admire you a lot, counselor, and I can promise you I’m under no misguided impression that being a prosecutor is about glitz and glamour. I actually only started seriously considering going into Law school when a friend of mine came to me saying she couldn’t get good council for her domestic abuse case because she’s a lesbian. So I talked to a few people, I grilled my mother on all her experience with LGBTQ victims, I read a few cases, and realized that it’s harder for people to believe us, and for us to get justice. I wanna help change that.”   

Rafael’s throat felt dry, but he didn’t want to break their eye contact by reaching for his bottle of water. Instead, he nodded and gave Sonny a little smile. “I have no idea what Olivia was worried about.”

This time, Sonny did laugh. “Mothers,” he rolled his eyes. “I don’t think she was actually expecting you to talk me out of it, though. I just think she wanted me to make sure it’s the right decision.”

“And do you think it is?,” he asked curiously. “I don’t believe you’d be leaving your squad for Law school, right?”

“I wouldn’t,” Sonny shook his head. “Fordham University offers night classes. And if I manage to get in, I’m pretty positive it’d be right for me.”

“Fordham, uh?!,” Rafael raised an eyebrow, and finally reached for his water. “Seems like you’ve got it all figured out. I’d offer you a drink for us to cheer to that, but I’m afraid I’ve still got a few hours of work ahead of me.”

Sonny grabbed his bottle as well, and tilted it towards Rafael. “To Fordham Law.”

He chuckled, and gently bumped both bottles together. “To night classes and not jumping out of a window.”

Eyes locked to each other’s, they both took a sip to their toast.

“About that drink,” Sonny gave him a lopsided smile that Rafael had started to associate directly to his blunt flirting. “How about we make it a dinner at my place on Friday? I’ll cook.”

Rafael almost groaned out loud. He really shouldn’t be surprised at the invitation, but he was exasperated regardless.

No matter how well they hit it off, how much Sonny flirted, how much they laughed together, this was still his closest friend’s son. Rafael wasn’t sure how Olivia would feel about him going on a date with Sonny, and he really wasn’t planning on risking their friendship over a home cooked meal and some good company.

“I know what you’re thinking,” Sonny said. “But hey, it’d only be a casual meeting to talk a little more about some of your cases.”

 _As if_.

He knew better than this, and he couldn’t for the life of him understand why he decided to humor Sonny anyway. “It’d be purely professional, then?”

Sonny smirked, and that hunter look was back on his face. “Of course.”

“Alright,” he nodded, and Sonny beamed. “But if Olivia is in any way uncomfortable about this, I’m not going.”

“Fair enough,” Sonny shrugged. “I think you’re overthinking it, though.”

“Quite the opposite,” Rafael mumbled.

Sonny laughed again. “I hope you’ve missed Brooklyn, Counselor,” he teased, and Rafael grunted.

God have mercy.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sonny and Rafael have a date which Rafael swears isn't actually a date. Except it is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to say THANK YOU everyone who gave this a chance even though the overall concept might be a bit weird for you. I really appreciate all the comments so far, and I'm so HAPPY with yalls response. 
> 
> Thank you, from the bottom of my heart. NOW! Onto the next one :D

Sonny Carisi was the most endearing person Rafael had ever met. His charm went beyond anything he’d ever seen, and he had half a mind to congratulate Olivia for raising such a charismatic young man.

Before Sonny left his office on Tuesday, Rafael gave him his business card. “For your friend,” he had said. “Tell her to call me and I can refer her to a good prosecutor in Brooklyn who’ll want to take her case.”

He had thanked Rafael profusely for his offer and, about three hours later, texted him asking what he’d like to eat for dinner on Friday. Naturally, they just kept the conversation going for the next few days and Rafael was a little smitten, to say the least.

However, he couldn’t help the slight uncomfortableness of feeling his phone buzz with new texts from Sonny while sitting in Olivia’s office.

Rafael had been struggling with whether or not to tell her he was going to have dinner with Sonny on Friday, and he was half-thankful that he hadn’t managed to find an opening to bring it up while they were working.

Olivia, however, once again proved to be able to read his mind when she leaned back into her chair with a little satisfied smile and said, “You’ve certainly made an impression on Sonny. He’s really confident about his decision now, he sent me a picture of all his enrollment forms filled out for Fordham.”

He smirked, shrugging slightly. “You were right, he’s quite an open book. We talked a little, he seems to have the right intentions. I don’t think you need to worry about him.”

Olivia waved him off. “Worrying about him is my job. Sonny’s heart is twice as big as him, you know. When he moved to Brooklyn I thought I’d have to move there, too, just to keep an eye on everything,” she laughed at herself, shaking her head. “But he found a good home in his precinct, the squad is a tight family. Plus, his Captain is openly gay, and I think that meant more to him than I could ever comprehend myself.”

Sonny had been very open about his interest in men, and in Rafael particularly, if he was being honest, but he didn’t label himself at any point, so Rafael tried not to either, even though he was itching to ask.

“He spoke highly of the 99th, and they seem to be supportive of his decision,” Rafael said, trying to find an opening to casually mention their dinner on Friday. “He still has a lot of questions, though.”

Olivia rolled her eyes fondly. “He always does. I’d say it’s part of what got him promoted to Detective so fast, he never stops with the questioning.”

Rafael laughed lightly, nodding. “Indeed. But I had limited time to answer everything on Tuesday, so he somehow convinced me to meet with him tonight.”

He held his breath unconsciously as he waited for Olivia’s reaction, but she simply laughed and shook her head. “I knew he’d find a way. Did he offer to cook for you?”

“He did,” he tilted his head, suddenly wondering if Sonny had already told her about it. “He swears it’s going to be the best meal I’ve had all week.”

“It will be, trust me,” she smiled. “His father is almost too Italian to function and he learned to cook from a very young age. I can guarantee you his confidence in his food isn’t misplaced.”

“Alright, no need to sell it so hard,” Rafael said smirking, his hand up in mock surrender. “I can’t believe I’m going all the way up to Brooklyn to be grilled about Law by your son, Liv,” he teased innocently, as if Sonny hadn’t been calling it a date and blatantly flirting with him for days.

Olivia smiled fondly. “I really appreciate it, Rafa. And I know it means a lot to him, too.”

* * *

When Sonny opened the door of his apartment, Rafael almost let out a loud groan. The elevator ride had filled Rafael’s mind with questions of why he was doing this, but looking at the other man now, he knew.

Sonny’s eyes were brighter than he remembered and he was taller than Rafael’s mind let himself believe. He was dressed in a tight black henley and dark jeans, standing barefoot on his doorway like something out of fever a dream.

His smile grew slowly into something mischievous, and Rafael felt something inside himself twist.

“Manhattan’s District Attorney in Brooklyn? I feel so honored,” he said, and made a grand gesture for Rafael to walk in. “Let me take your coat, and you can take your shoes off.”

Rafael looked around as he shrugged off his coat and handed it to Sonny, kicking off his shoes and socks in the process. He was surprised to see the big bookshelf that seemed to be the epicenter of the living room. He could recognize some of them without even reading the title, knowing they were basic Law books, but some he stepped closer to check.

Simone de Beauvoir, Maya Angelou and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie instantly caught his eye, and Rafael wanted to laugh out loud. Of course Olivia Benson’s son would have a bookshelf full of feminist titles and authors.

There were also many fiction classics, a handful of biographies, and, much to Rafael’s amusement, the complete Harry Potter collection. Before he could stop it, he found himself smiling.

“So, what's your Hogwarts house?,” Sonny asked as he came up beside him with two glasses of wine. He had a cheeky little smile that made Rafael want to elbow him in the ribs.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Rafael chuckled and happily accepted the glass. This felt like a date already.

“Ouch,” he said dramatically, a hand on his heart, then giggled. “It’s alright, I’m pretty sure you’d be a Ravenclaw, which is nice. I’m more of a Hufflepuff myself.”

Rafael hummed. “Is that even English?”

Sonny laughed, shaking his head. “That’s hurtful, Rafael, but I’ll forgive you. Come on, I’ve got some antipasto waiting for us.”

He followed Sonny into his kitchen, which, surprisingly, was bigger than the living room. It was designed to perfection, with dark grey cabinets and pearly white tiles. There was a small marble island in the center of the room, and Sonny pulled out a high stool with a flourish for Rafael to sit.

“Whatever price you pay on rent is mostly for this kitchen, I’m sure,” Rafael said teasingly as he took the offered seat.

“I actually bought the apartment and renovated the kitchen,” he said with a hint of pride. “A good kitchen is of the essence for me.”

Rafael raised both his eyebrows, taking a sip of wine as Sonny served them a platter of cheeses, olives, pickled meat and an assortment of vegetables, which he then proceeded to very dramatically dose in olive oil.  

“Prices in Brooklyn must be good, then. I don’t think I’d be able to buy and renovate a place like this back in my thirties.”

Sonny waved a hand as he turned to put together a salad. “My father helped financially.”

Rafael hummed. “Olivia mentioned he’s a doctor.”

“He’s a surgeon, quite good, too,” he shrugged. “I mean, not that I would know. But from what I’ve heard.”

“Do you see him often?,” Rafael asked, wanting to show interest but unsure of whether this was a touchy subject. He knew his own father wasn’t a pleasant memory.

But Sonny turned to him, bottle of wine in hand, a winning smile on his face. “Almost every weekend, if I’m not working. I go up to Staten Island on Sundays. If I can’t make it there, he tries to come here during the week for lunch. We’re close. And I adore my stepmother and love my sisters more than I can put into words.”

“I didn’t know you had sisters,” Olivia had also never mentioned that the guy had married and started another family, but then again, it wasn’t really his business.

“Oh yeah, three!,” he refilled Rafael’s glass with an excited look on his face. “Theresa, Gina and Bella. They’re all younger than me.”

“Ah, I guess all the feminist books aren’t only Liv’s doing, then,” he teased with a little smirk.

Sonny laughed. “No, actually Theresa and Gina got me into most of them. Theresa is almost 25 and Gina is 23, and they really got involved in Women’s Rights marches and debates in college. They invited me to a few, and I couldn’t help but get involved. I’m surrounded by women in my family, it’s impossible not to fight along with them. I gotta support them.”

“I understand where you’re coming from. I grew up with my mother and my abuelita, and it was always hard seeing the way the world treated them simply because they’re women,” Rafael found himself saying, stricken by how easy it was to talk to Sonny. “I was supposed to be the ‘man of the house’ when they were doing fine without a man, and I was only 12 years old.”

“Exactly,” Sonny nodded enthusiastically. “And I saw the way people treated my mom as a single mother versus my father before he married. My father was painted like some sort of hero, but we both know Olivia Benson, we know she’s the one wearing the cape.”

“She’s Wonder Woman herself," Rafael laughed, nodding. "And what about Bella?”

“Bella just turned 20, but she’s already just as loud as the other two,” he smiled fondly. “So you see? I have to keep up, hence the books.”

“You’d be a great SVU Detective, have you thought about that?”

Sonny gave him a little smile, then went back to the salada he was putting together, keeping an eye on a pan boiling on the stove.

Rafael couldn’t help but notice just how much he seemed to _belong_ in this space, moving so surely and fluidly from cabinet to drawer, from pan to bowl, whisking and stirring away like he was working on some sort of magic show. The lines of his back and biceps moved teasingly along with him, and the black henley he was wearing certainly didn’t leave anything to the imagination.

But Rafael was imagining regardless.

“Of course,” Sonny replied. “But I’ve only been a Detective for five years, I’ve still got a lot to learn before I make it into the elite squad.”

He smirked. “Does three years of Law school count as ‘a lot to learn’?”

Sonny turned to him, and winked.

* * *

Dinner had been fantastic. Sonny really was an incredible cook. They started off with a caprese salad, then moved on to ligurian pesto on spaghetti. By the time they were done, Rafael was so full he regretted wearing a belt. However, Sonny offered dessert with a beaming smile, and Rafael was a very weak man.

So now they sat in Sonny’s couch, in front of his big bookshelf, each with a slice of Italian plum and almond cake in hand, plus a glass of water. They had drank a whole bottle of wine with dinner, and although Rafael could hold his liquor pretty well, he could see there was a permanent blush on Sonny’s cheeks and suggested they slow down.

“Ma texted me about an hour before you arrived, telling me to go easy on you,” Sonny said with a lopsided smile. “Did you tell her about our date?”

Rafael took a big gulp of water. “I never said it was a date. I just said you still had a few questions about Law school.”

“Nice one,” Sonny smirked. “You know, my relationship with her is not that different from any other. We all keep little things from our mothers, you know?!”

“Absolutely,” he snorted, knowing damn well that he hardly ever told his mother anything about his personal life. “Tell me something you’ve kept from her, then.”

Sonny raised an eyebrow at him, then stopped to consider it. When he spoke again, he had that cheeky smile of his on. “I told her I lost my virginity at 18 when it was really at 15.”

Rafael laughed out loud, throwing his head back. He hadn’t expect that. “I was thinking about something more recent, but I’ll indulge you for a second. Why did you lie about that?”

“Well, 15 is pretty young and it was _bad_. I thought I had made the biggest mistake of my life,” he winced, shaking his head. “It was with another boy and it was fast, painful, embarrassing and not all that pleasurable. But at 18 I had that ‘oh this is why people love sex so much’ experience so I felt more confident to talk about it. It was only up from there.”

“I bet,” he hummed, smirking.

“Now as for something more recent,” he pulled a face like he was thinking again, but from the way his eyes sparkled Rafael was pretty sure he already knew what he was going to say. “Well, I’m currently on a date with her closest friend,” Sonny said in a low voice, and his eyes dropped to Rafael’s lips with a hunger that took his breath away. “And I really wanna kiss him.”

Rafael almost let himself lean in, _almost_. It physically pained him to hold back, and he could swear he felt his lips tingling at the way Sonny was looking at them. But his senses kicked in before he acted on his desires, so he set his plate on the coffee table and stood up.

“Yeah, I’m not sure about that,” he said, and he couldn’t help the disappointed tilt in his voice.

Sonny immediately stood too, but took a step back to put some space between them, looking a little embarrassed. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I just thought the night was going well.”

“It was,” he admitted, chuckling humorlessly. “I’m just having a hard time wrapping my head around it all. I can’t help but feel like I’m going behind Olivia’s back.”

“I understand. But the whole point I was trying to make was that I don’t have to tell her _everything.”_

“So you’re suggesting we keep _this_ a secret from her?,” he frowned. “That seems even worse.”

Sonny sighed, both of his hands on his hips. “Listen Rafael, I’m a grown man. Yeah, it’s a bit odd that you knew my mom before you knew me, but we’re not doing anything wrong."

“I know, it’s my problem. But Liv and I talk about this stuff. I tell her about my dates and interests,” Rafael ran a hand over his face. “It’s weird to think that next time she asks who I’m seeing the answer would be ‘your son’.”

Sonny laughed loudly and Rafael grumbled. “I’m glad you find this amusing.”

Tentatively, he took a step forward. “It’s great that you care about her so much, but you have nothing to worry about.”

“Yeah,” his shoulder sagged. “I’m sorry.”

“That’s alright,” he smiled softly. “Maybe you still see me as Olivia Benson’s son instead of just me, but I’ll make sure to change that.”

Rafael tilted his head, curious. “How are you gonna do that?”

“Oh Rafael, wouldn’t you like to know?,” he teased, smirking in a way that made Rafael’s heart speed up.

Wow, he had it _bad._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright so what you think? Is Rafael going to tell Olivia? Is Sonny gonna tell her? Or will Liv use her detective skills and find out on her own?
> 
> We'll see tomorrow!!! Don't forget to leave comments and kudos to let me know if you're excited!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Olivia finds out about Sonny and Rafael.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you again for your support on this story! I didn't expect so much curiosity and positivity around it. Not gonna lie, I kinda expected some rude responses hahhaa so I really appreciate it!
> 
> Enjoy!

“You know, when you said you wanted to have dinner with me, this wasn’t what I had in mind,” Olivia teased, and Sonny chuckled. 

It was Friday night, and Sonny was in Olivia’s apartment once again. But unlike the last time, he wasn’t cooking for them. He had come in with two armfuls of McDonald’s bags. His mother took one look at him, rolled her eyes and ushered him towards the living room.

“And why do you always order so much?,” she asked, coming to sit next to him on the rug in front of the couch. 

Sonny smiled, taking everything out of the bags and laying his gigantic order on the coffee table. “I’m a growing boy, ma.”

“I’m only going to let that excuse go because you paid for the food,” she said, pulling a chicken salad close to her as Sonny attacked the first box of nuggets. “Are you going to your father’s this Sunday?”

“I’m going tomorrow after lunch,” because he had a lunch date with Rafael, his mind supplied, but he didn’t say. “I’m spending the night, at Bella’s insistence.”

Olivia chuckled. “Don’t act like you don’t love it. Did you get me tea?” 

“Oh yeah, here,” Sonny opened the forgotten bag in the back of the mess he’d created and pulled out a cup of sweet tea for Olivia and a big cup of coke for himself. 

He kept double dipping his nuggets in barbecue sauce, but when the first box was gone, he went for a portion of fries and stuffed his mouth in a second. 

“Chew your food properly, Dominick,” Olivia reprimanded, sipping her tea with a weary expression. “So you’re not on call this weekend?” 

“No,” he said through his mouth full of french fries only to spite his mother. “It’s Jake and Charles’ weekend. Oh, I brought you a cheeseburger as well. Don’t you want some fries?”

“Is there gonna be any left for me? You’re practically inhaling them,” she snorted. “You still act like you’re 16, I swear.”

Sonny gaped. “That’s really offensive, ma.” 

“ _ This _ ,” she stressed, gesturing around the mess in her living room. “Is very offensive.”

“No more McDonald’s for you then, Miss Benson,” he huffed, holding the cheeseburger away from her. 

Olivia laughed. “See? My point stands.”

Sonny winked at her, and handed off her burguer, grabbing one for himself and eating it in four bites with the help of a couple sips of coke. He always turned a little desperate when it came to McDonald’s, and he wasn’t ashamed of it.  

Right when he opened his second box of nuggets, his phone buzzed three times in his pocket. He wiped his fingers quickly on a napkin before reaching for it. 

Sonny didn’t even notice it, but his face exploded in a blinding smile when he saw Rafael’s name on the screen. He unlocked it quickly. 

**Rafael:** Just got out of the office  
**Rafael** : Pro-tip: don’t make friends with defense attorneys, they’re leeches.  
**Rafael:** Are we still set for lunch tomorrow?

“Oh, I know that look,” Olivia teased, sipping her tea with a knowing expression. “Who is it?”

Sonny immediately blushed, turning the phone away from Olivia. “Uh, nobody.”

He regretted saying that as soon as he saw Olivia’s amused face fall and turn into a frown. Despite anything he had said to Rafael, they had quite an open relationship, and Sonny often told his mother about people he was seeing. It just wasn’t natural for him to hide from her, and the disappointed showed in her face. 

Sonny came out to his parents when he was 14. He sat the two of them down in his father’s living room and told them he liked boys, too. His dad was shocked, and didn’t say anything for a good five minutes, but Olivia opened up her arms and pulled him into a tight hug, peppering his face and hair with kisses. 

When his father finally snapped himself out of his trance, he joined in on their hug and offered words of support and love that Sonny never forgot. 

So really, Sonny’s first instinct was to tell his mother everything about Rafael. They’d gone on three dates so far, and it was going really well, but the other man was still on edge about potentially hurting Olivia’s feelings by dating her son. 

“Nobody?,” Olivia asked, her voice just above a whisper. Sonny didn’t like it when she used that tone. He associated it with her being overly emotional or sad. “ _ Nobody _ doesn’t make you smile like that, Sonny. What’s going on?” 

Sonny let out a long sigh, his shoulder sagging as he stared into his phone, where Rafael was still waiting for a reply. 

**Sonny:** Duly noted  
**Sonny:** Of course. I’ll pick you up

After sending off his reply, he locked the screen and sat the phone on the coffee table. Olivia was still watching him, and Sonny knew he had to tell her. 

“I didn’t tell you before because he’s worried about how you’re gonna feel about it. He cares about you a lot and he’d hate to jeopardize your friendship in any way,” Sonny started. “Ever since you introduced us, Rafael and I have been going out. We’ve been to three dates so far, and have a fourth tomorrow. He just texted me to confirm it.”

Olivia blinked rapidly. 

Then, she threw her head back and let out a loud laugh. Sonny watched her with a little smile of his own. He had guessed her reaction would be something like this, but to see it play out was very amusing. 

She laughed for so long, in fact, that soon her eyes were filled with tears. Sonny handed her a napkin with a little giggle.

While Olivia tried to compose herself, between sharp intakes of breath and renewed fits of laughter, he went back to drinking his coke and dipping his nuggets in barbecue sauce. 

“Oh my god,” Olivia finally said, her cheeks pink, reaching for her cup of tea. “You and Rafael? You’re dating Rafael Barba?”

Sonny smirked. “Yes, but don’t tell him I told you or he’ll freak the hell out.”

Olivia waved him off. “Oh, I know. Rafael is incredibly touchy when it comes to feelings and relationships. I should have known, really. You’re just his type.”

“Really?,” Sonny raised an eyebrow, amused.

“Every single guy I’ve ever seen Rafael give any attention to were tall, blond with blue eyes, and pale as hell, no offense,” she snorted.

Sonny laughed. “None taken. It’s your fault, anyway.”

Olivia shook her head. “Absolutely not. It’s your father’s Italian genes. Plus, I’d like to think I raised a very charming young man, so of course he’d be interested.”

“Ugh, calm down, ma,” he rolled his eyes playfully. 

“But I have to ask,” she said with a tilt of her head. “All those times you asked about him and insisted I introduce you two, were you already interested in him?”

Sonny blushed and ducked his head. “You spoke so highly of him when he joined SVU, I did some research. I found some videos of him online.”

“You stalked him online?,” Olivia screeched. “Sonny!”

“I didn’t stalk him! I just watched some videos of him. There were a few interviews and some bits and pieces from his trials. He’s  _ so  _ good, isn’t he? So passionate, quick on his feet, it’s mesmerizing. It doesn’t hurt that he’s cute, too,” he smiled dreamily.

“Cute?,” she giggled. “That’s a word I wouldn’t associate with ADA Barba.”

“Alright ma, I thought he was really fucking hot, is that what you wanna hear?”

“Dominick,” Olivia reprimanded, holding back her laughter. “Sonny, I’m honestly glad you two are working it out. Rafael is one of the best men I’ve ever met in my life, I know he’d be a good fit for you. And you’re already showing you can handle his dramatics, so I think it’s really great.”

Sonny beamed. “I like him a lot. Like a lot, a lot,” he blushed. “But he really cares about you, and I’m afraid he’ll scare off easy if anything goes wrong or if he thinks you wouldn’t approve.”

Olivia hummed, nodding. “Rafael really struggles with letting himself be happy. These two years I’ve known him, he never went in more than two dates with the same person. So your fourth is a really good sign. I can talk to him if you want.”

“Don’t tell him I told you,” Sonny said, smiling when his phone buzzed again. “But if you think it’d help ease a little bit of his anxiety, I’d really appreciate it. Can you believe we haven’t even kissed yet because he thinks he’d be betraying you?”

Olivia’s eyes widened. “Are you serious?”, she asked and Sonny nodded, stuffing his mouth with fries again. “Wow. I don’t know why he’s so concerned, we’re friends, he knows I trust him.” 

Sonny shot her a long look. “Probably because you always go on and on about how much you worry about me, about how my heart is so big and innocent, and you don’t want me to get hurt, and blah blah blah,” he mocked, trying to impersonate Olivia’s voice but landing on a whiny version of it. “You gave the guy a complex, ma.”

“Ah, yes, make fun of me for caring about my son,” she rolled her eyes. “He’s my friend, and I share my motherly crises with him, alright? I never imagined you’d wanna date him.” 

“Fair enough,” he shrugged. “But can you cool it from now on? I really want it to work between us. Don’t scare him off.”

“I’ll try,” she sighed.

* * *

 

Keeping his relationship with Sonny hidden from Olivia was getting out of hand for many reasons. 

First of all, they’d been to about eight dates by now, and they’d done nothing more than hold hands. The sexual tension was through the roof, to the point where Rafael found himself having wet dreams as if he were 20 again. 

They talked everyday and Rafael was well aware of the feelings that were bubbling up somewhere deep inside him. It was different, not falling into bed with someone every chance they got, and they spent a lot of time talking, sharing stories and experiences, as well as the odd advice here and there. It was a nice change. 

Somehow, it felt more promising than any other relationship Rafael had ever had.

Secondly, he felt bad whenever he was around Olivia. She was a great friend, and he missed talking to her like he normally would. Now, he tried to get out of her office as soon as he could because he was afraid she’d start talking about Sonny. 

He almost jumped out of his skin when she found him at Forlini’s and sat down to eat with him. He became agitated, and he hated that. This was  _ Olivia _ for Christ’s sake. Rafael cared so much for her, but he was so scared of disappointing her. 

“Rafa, you’ve been hiding from me,” Olivia said jokingly as she flagged the bartender. “We haven’t shared a drink in a month, now.” 

It’d been a month and two weeks. Rafael swallowed hard. 

“It’s your own fault,” he teased in the best way he could. “You’re keeping us all busy.”

She chuckled. “I don’t think it’s me. You’ve been holding out on me. Tell me, how’s your dating life going?”

Rafael turned from his glass of whiskey to Olivia with narrowed eyes. She knew. Somehow, she knew. He was sure of it. 

Nevertheless, he wasn’t about to lie to her and say he wasn’t dating anyone. There were some lines he’d never be able to cross when it came to Olivia - even though going out with her son apparently wasn’t one of them. 

“I’ve been seeing someone,” he said, and took a big gulp of his whiskey. 

“Really?,” she smiled softly. “And it’s going well?”

Rafael found himself smiling into his cup. “Pretty well.”

“Oh, look at that little smile,” she half-teased. “Come on, Rafa. Tell me! You never leave out any details.”

He turned to look at her again, and it pained him to see the little fond look she was giving him. Things with Sonny were definitely great, on the road to becoming official soon, and he wouldn’t be able to keep it from Olivia for much longer.

So throwing back his drink and immediately asking for another one, he turned on his seat towards her. He let out a long sigh, and cleared his throat. 

“Liv, I have to tell you something,” he started. “You know I would never do anything to hurt you, right? You’re one of my closest friends, and I really appreciate you, I wouldn’t want to jeopardize that.” 

Olivia frowned. “You’re scaring me, Rafa.”

He sighed. “The person I’m seeing is Sonny. We’ve been on a few dates, and it’s going really well. I really like him, Liv. He’s a great guy. But you know that.” 

In his darkest hours, Rafael feared Olivia’s only reaction would be the silent shake of her head thing she did, then she’d leave without saying anything. But never, not even on his most optimistic periods, did he think she would smile proudly at him. The biggest smile he’d ever gotten from her, too. 

“You knew, didn’t you?,” Rafael asked with a roll of his eyes. “Sonny told you.”

Olivia let out a soft laugh, patting his knee affectionately. “Yeah, but only because he knew you had nothing to worry about. Did you really think I’d be upset?” 

He shrugged. “I didn’t like the idea that you might have been. I know you’re protective of him, and I’m older than him, I’m -”

“Rafael,” she interrupted. “You’re the best person I’ve ever worked with. I know  _ you _ , despite you trying to hide your big, soft heart.”

“Oh, the slander,” Rafael turned back towards the bar, smiling a little. “All this time I’ve been stressing about your reaction… I should have known better.”

“Yeah, you should,” she nodded. “Which is why my drinks are on you tonight.”

He smirked. “Fair.” 

“And next time you see him, just plant a big, nice kiss on him, will you? You’re driving the man crazy.” 

Rafael groaned loudly and closed his eyes. “I can’t believe he told you about that.” 

Olivia laughed. “It’s cute that you think refusing to kiss him would make me less angry at you, if that were the case.” 

“I was trying to be a good friend!,” he said in an annoyed tone. “I was trying to act appropriately towards your son, because I respect you. Although right now I’m not so sure why.” 

She had the nerve to laugh again. “Aw Rafael, I didn’t know you cared  _ that  _ much.”

He shrugged and let out a long sigh. “What if it doesn’t work out between Sonny and I, Liv? What’s gonna happen to us then?”

“I have more faith in you than that, Rafa,” she smiled. “But we’ll cross that bridge if we ever come to it, okay? Just let yourself be happy, and make him happy, too.”

“I promise to try my best,” Rafael nodded. 

“And with that being said, he’s still my son, and I will cut off your balls if you hurt him,” Olivia said with a serious expression, but her eyes said otherwise. 

“There she is,” Rafael chuckled. “I wouldn’t expect any less.”

Olivia winked at him, and from there he proceeded to tell her about their dates. At first, Rafael had a bit of a hard time talking about how he felt about Sonny when Olivia kept preening and shooting him proud looks, but soon they found a balance being her being his close friend and Sonny’s mother. 

“I’m really glad it’s going well, Rafa,” she smiled. “You’re a great man, and so is Sonny, if I do say so myself. You’ll be good for each other.”

Rafael returned her smile. “I think so, too,” he said, and they toasted to that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There we go! Who really thought Olivia would be mad? 
> 
> Now that Olivia knows, barisi is free! hahha Let me know what you expect next in your comments! And don't forget to click on that little heart and leave a kudo <3


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sonny and Rafael have finally got Olivia's blessing, but then Sonny has to go undercover.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your kind comments! Don't forget to leave some kudos too <3
> 
> Enjoy!

It was just Rafael’s luck that, as soon as they got Olivia’s blessing, he got a text from another Detective from the 99th saying Sonny had gone undercover.

His Captain had called Olivia as a courtesy, because apparently Sonny made him ‘pinky promise’ that he’d let her and Rafael know where he was going, as well as give them some information about the case.

Now, Rafael was pacing around Olivia’s office, his arms crossed over his chest tightly, his frown turning more sour by the second as his friend shared all the information she had about Sonny’s assignment.

It wasn’t much, but it was something to do with the Italian Mafia, and Sonny went in alone.

Rafael didn’t like it one bit.

“Why did they send him alone?,” he spat, shooting Olivia a desperate look. “What kind of irresponsible, ill-managed squad is this?”

“I don’t like this any better than you, but he’ll request backup if he needs it,” Olivia said, sighing deeply. He knew he was being unfair. Olivia was his _mother_ after all, she was probably worried out of her mind herself, he shouldn’t expect her to console him. But then again, that was Olivia’s thing.

“I sure hope he does,” Rafael dryly and resumed his pacing. “Did they even prepare before sending him off? Why so suddenly? I spoke to him this morning, he would have mentioned something if he knew he was going under.”

“Rafael, please, sit down,” she said, standing up herself to serve them each a cup of coffee. “These things happen, and you gotta act quick when there’s an opening to go undercover, sometimes there isn’t much time. You know that.”

He hung his head, taking a deep breath to steady himself.

Rafael remembered clearly that the day he met Sonny, he couldn’t see any resemblance between him and Olivia. But with time, he noticed that the similarities between him and his mother went deeper than physical.

Sonny had Olivia’s kindness, that sweet softness in his eyes that made him look so trustworthy. He also had a slightly jaded optimism, and a talent for seeing the good in people, much like his mother. There was a fierceness to him, and he walked around with the confidence of someone who knew what they stood for.

Sonny’s first instinct was always to help, to offer comfort, to lend an ear. He was damn good at his job, and he was always trying to be better - hence the interest in Law. Rafael knew that, with Olivia’s DNA pumping through his veins, Sonny would come out victorious in his assignment.

Rafael just hoped that, unlike Olivia, Sonny would come out unscarred.  

“I’m sorry, Liv,”  he eventually said, taking a seat. “I know this isn’t easy on you either.”

She smiled. “It’s not, but it isn’t my first time in the rodeo,” Olivia offered him a cup and rounded her desk, sitting beside him. “And I’m a cop, too. So I think I see it a bit differently.”

Rafael took a sip of the offered coffee and leaned back into the chair, trying to relax as much as he could. “How?,” he asked.

“He’s doing his job,” she shrugged. “He took an oath. I had a lot of time to adjust to his choice of following in my footsteps, and I know he took his training seriously. We’ve also discussed undercover work many, many times since then. I do worry, of course I do, I’m his mother. But I also remember all the times _I_ went undercover, and left Sonny with his father.”

He hadn’t known Olivia back then, but he could see it now, the young Detective who jumped into a case to help a victim, doing everything she could to honor her oath to serve and protect. Rafael reached over and squeezed her arm.

“I only really had that sudden realization of what I was doing when I was already under,” she shook her head. “And then he was all I could think about. Was he eating well? Was he having nightmares? Did his father remember what his favorite book was? And what would happen to him if I never came back?”

Olivia’s eyes were getting a little misty, but before Rafael could say anything she smiled, blinking rapidly to get rid of the tears. “Thankfully, I always did come back. Until the next assignment, at least. So that’s what we do, us cops,” she laughed self-deprecatingly. “We jump into things with calculated risks because we have a job to do.”

Rafael smiled softly. “I always did know cops had a big hero complex,” he joked lightly. “I believe you just proved my point.”

“Ah, yes,” she laughed. “We think we can change the world, one less big villain at a time. Don’t tell me prosecutors are any different.”

He hummed, tilting his head. “I’d said we’re more ego-driven than that.”

Olivia smirked. “I don’t believe you,” she said, then turned a little more towards him. “It’s okay to worry about him, Rafa. I understand if you’re freaking out a little.”

“Good,” he said gravely, setting his cup on Olivia’s desk and standing up. “Because I am,” and with that, he went back to pacing around her office.

* * *

Two weeks later, with barely any news from Sonny, Rafael found himself back into his same old routine from before he met the man - staying in his office until way too late, working too much, eating poorly and feeling lonely.

He had never questioned it before, he thought his work provided the necessary amount of excitement in his life. Now, he could see it was no way to live, and he didn’t want to go back to that, which only made him miss Sonny even more.

Sonny’s Captain had sent two other messages along after he’d gone under. One saying he was fine, and he’d be back soon, and the other one saying Sonny missed Rafael. The latter had been a slightly awkward phone conversation, but it helped him deal with the ache a little better.

The good thing was that he was no longer hiding from Olivia, and he didn’t have to pretend Sonny’s absence wasn’t eating him up inside. Quite the contrary, he had been leaning on her more than ever before. She understood, more than anybody, that her son had the type of personality that left a big gap when he wasn’t around.

So they found comfort in each other and, even when they were both staring silently into nothing, each with a drink in hand, the companionship made a whole great deal of difference.

As if she sensed he was thinking about her, his phone started vibrating on his desktop and he snagged it with a little smile. “Hey Liv, I was just about to call you,” he started joyfully. “I was wondering if you’d like to have dinner together tonight. We can try something other than Forlini’s for once. I believe you mentioned a new Thai place last week?”

Olivia let out a soft laugh. “That would be great, Rafa, but I don’t think you’ll want to waste your time on me tonight,” she said, her tone playful, and he chuckled lightly.

“Why’s that?”

There was a short pause, then she spoke the words he’d been waiting to hear. “Sonny’s back. He just called me. He’s on his way home right now.”

Rafael felt relief flood through him, followed quickly by excitement. Of course he’d been thinking about what they’d do once Sonny was back, and it went without saying that many of those thoughts weren’t PG.

Trying to keep himself composed, after all he was talking to Sonny’s mother, Rafael cleared his throat. “Aren’t you going to see him?”

Olivia hummed knowingly. “I wish I could, but there’s no way I’ll manage to get out of the precinct right now. I might come over for dinner later if you’re both not… otherwise preoccupied.”

Rafael checked his watch, pleased to notice he was well within the acceptable ‘I have to leave a lttle early’ limit. Smirking devilishly, Rafael stood up and pressed the buzzer on the landline to summon Carmen as he picked up his briefcase and started tidying his paperwork.

“That’d be fantastic, Liv,” he said with exaggerated enthusiasm. “But do make sure to call beforehand.”

Just then, the door opened and Carmen strode in, quickly assessing him and nodding dutifully when Rafael mouthed “Could you get me a car, please?” at her.

“I’ll remember that,” Olivia joked. “Make sure he’s alright, Rafa.”

“I will,” he smiled. “Talk to you later, Liv.”

“Bye.”

He ended the call with Olivia and immediately went looking for Sonny’s name on his contact list, but almost dropped his phone in his haste when it started ringing in his hand. He couldn’t help the fluttering of his heart at the name flashing across the screen.

“Sonny?”

“Raf,” he breathed, half-relieved, half-desperate. “I’m home.”

“I’m on my way,” Rafael replied with no hesitation, disconnecting the call and bolting out of his office, barely stopping to give Carmen a few instructions as he went.

Never had he been this excited.

* * *

Considering it wasn’t quite rush hour yet, Rafael made it to Brooklyn in a reasonable time. Rafael had never been a patient man, and he swore the slight traffic and the slow elevator in Sonny’s building had a personal vendetta against his person.

But, he reached Sonny’s door, and it took five seconds after his knock for it to open. And there he was, after two weeks, standing there barefoot, in a loose white t-shirt and sweatpants, his hair, still damp from the shower, falling freely across his forehead and temple.

Sonny’s face broke into a beautiful smile, and he pulled Rafael inside, gathering him in his arms, hugging him tightly as he let out a long sigh.

“I missed you so much,” he mumbled against Rafael’s temple.

“I missed you, too,” Rafael breathed back, and stepped back to look Sonny over, running his hands over his shoulders, down his arms. “Are you okay?”

Sonny nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine. It went well,” he smiled softly, then frowned. “But the whole time I was there, I kept thinking about you. About the things I wish I had said and done before I went under. I kept reliving all our dates, all our talks, and Rafael -“

Rafael crowded him again. “Olivia knows,” he interrupted, a little breathlessly. “I told her. She’s over the moon.”

“She knows?,” Sonny’s eyebrows shot up, and suddenly his eyes dropped and he was looking at Rafael’s lips with predatory intensity. “So that means…”

Resting his hands on Sonny’s chest, he could feel the man’s heart thumping against his palm. “Kiss me, Sonny,” he whispered. Without hesitating, they both leaned towards each other until they met in the middle.

He had been stupid, Rafael realized once their lips slotted together. Sonny’s lips felt wonderfully soft and full against his, and Rafael couldn’t believe he’d been denying himself this for two months.

Well, not anymore.

Pulling back slightly, Rafael adjusted and tilted his head, claiming Sonny’s lips again.

It was what every good first kiss ought to be, slow, tentative, and intense. Rafael felt like his skin had been set alight, burning as Sonny gripped him around the waist and pulled him closer. He let out a soft, satisfied sound from deep within his chest and buried one of his hand on Sonny’s hair, the other placed possessively on the curve of his shoulder.

When Sonny tentatively touched his bottom lip with his tongue, Rafael’s came out to meet his in the middle and they tangled wetly together.

He honestly couldn’t remember how long it had been since he’d been kissed like that, so deeply and freely, none of the contained, shy crap he was used to.

Sonny pushed  him back until his back was against the door and licked into his mouth with wild abandon. The feeling of being completely enveloped by Sonny, pressed down by the warm weight of his body, made all the blood in his veins quickly start rushing south, but with a regretful grunt, Rafael pulled back. Not because he didn’t want to keep going, but because Sonny had been undercover for two weeks, and Rafael wasn’t done assessing the damage.

Still, Rafael was smiling softly as they parted, and he kept his eyes on Sonny’s face the whole time. He looked completely relaxed and pleased. Peaceful, even; content, his eyes closed, his cheeks a little pink, his lips pouty and full. It was a beautiful sight.

When a minute later Sonny still hadn’t opened his eyes, Rafael chuckled and tapped his shoulder softly. “You can open your eyes now.”

Sonny smiled lazily. “I’ve waited so long for this, let me live in the moment for a sec, will you?”

He couldn’t help but reach up to kiss him again, a couple of soft pecks that tingled from his lips down to his toes and made him sigh happily. Rafael gave him one last, long kiss, lightly catching Sonny’s bottom lip between his, and pulled away again.

Sonny finally opened his eyes, and his pupils were blown out. He looked a little dazed, a little awed. Rafael couldn’t help but preen at the results of a few kisses.

“Finally,” Sonny beamed, and Rafael couldn’t help but agree.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is kinda the last chapter, but we've got a "six months late" epilogue coming tomorrow!!!!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rafael, Sonny, and Olivia, six months later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We've reached the end of our journey of weird scenarios and fluffy feelings! Thank you for everyone who read this and gave this a fair chance despite any reservations!
> 
> I hope you enjoy this little prologue. See you next time!

**Six months later**

Sonny jogged excitedly towards his door, a smile already tugging at the corner of his lips before he even reached it. Rafael had texted him half an hour later to say he was on his way, so the gentle knock he’d just heard was expected and much anticipated. 

When he opened the door, Sonny paid no mind to the very shiny gift bag his boyfriend had in hand. Instead, he took a moment to appreciate Rafael in his stunning dark blue three piece suit. As he gave Rafael a long look up and down, the other man smirked at him.

“Happy birthday,” Rafael breathed, stepping into Sonny’s space to peck him on this lips. 

But that wasn’t enough, of course. 

He grabbed his boyfriend’s hand and pulled him inside the apartment, then proceeded to push him against the door - his absolute favorite thing to do because it always got intense reactions from Rafael. With the tip of his fingers, he tilted Rafael’s face up and leaned down to press a firmer kiss on his lips.   

Once they parted, Sonny said, “Has anyone ever told you the way you work these suits is actually insane? Like, I can’t believe it’s possible for someone to look this good. I have half a mind to arrest you because it ought to be illegal.”

Rafael chuckled. “As a lawyer, I can assure you there’s no law against looking good in a suit, but if putting me in handcuffs does something for you I’m sure we can figure it out,” he said, brushing his lips against Sonny’s teasingly. 

Right when Sonny was about to suggest something nefarious, a voice came from the kitchen. “I can hear you,” Olivia sing-songed.

Sonny grunted out loud as Rafael giggled and pushed him away. “Go get comfortable, I left a change of clothes for you on the bed,” he said, pecking his boyfriend on the lips again before stepping back completely.

He just couldn’t get enough of kissing Rafael, and he did it at any opportunity he got. Maybe because of those kissless couple months when they had started going out, but Sonny sure got his fill nowadays.

As Rafael made his way to the bedroom, Sonny went back to the kitchen to find his mother where he had left her - slowly stirring a pot full of white sauce. 

“Did you really have to do that?,” he whined as he took the spoon from her. 

Olivia threw her hand up in mock surrender. “I just wanted to make sure you remembered I was here before you two started going at it against the door.”

Sonny groaned. “That was once, ma!,” he protested.

“One time too many for me, Sonny,” she laughed. “You know I’m very supportive of your relationship with Rafael, but some things I just don’t wanna see. Or hear.” 

“Alright, alright, let’s move on,” he rolled his eyes, but threw her a cheeky smile. “Can you take the casserole out of the oven? I think this is ready to go."

Olivia carefully took the hot casserole of nicely baked cheesy pasta from the oven and placed it on the counter. With his tongue tightly pressed between his teeth, Sonny carefully showered it in white sauce, distributing the contents of the pan evenly across the dish. 

“That smells so good,” Olivia hummed. 

Sonny beamed, placing the empty saucer back on the stove as he grabbed the spoon Olivia had been using previously to mix the sauce with the cheese and coat the pasta nicely. 

“You wanna taste it?,” he offered, balancing two macaronis on the spoon and blowing softly before offering it to his mother. “Careful.”

Olivia blew at the spoon too, then carefully took it. As she chewed happily, Sonny took a bite for himself as well, barely letting it cool before he threw it into his mouth and nodded approvingly.

“Sonny, that’s really good,” she smiled, patting him on the shoulder. “Is this a new recipe?” 

“I kinda tweaked something I saw dad make,” he shrugged. “His didn’t have all the cheeses. And the sauce was my own recipe, yeah.” 

Olivia looked at him fondly. “Do you ever think that if you weren’t a Detective, you could be a professional chef?”

Sonny preened. “I don’t know,” he sighed. “Professional cooking seems so intense, like there are so many rules you need to follow. I like cooking as a hobby, for the people I love.”

She wrapped an arm around his waist and hugged him from the side. “Well, you’re very talented.”

“And you’re biased,” he chuckled.

Olivia pulled an affronted face, but before she could say anything else, Sonny heard Rafael calling him from the bedroom. He quickly passed Olivia the spoon and washed his hands.

“Be right back,” Sonny said as he grabbed a kitchen towel to dry his hands.

“Yeah, go and see why he’s avoiding me,” Olivia teased.

“He’s probably mad because you cockblocked us,” he said with a cheeky look, winking as he made his way out of the kitchen.

“Let me know if you need me to leave!,” Olivia all but yelled behind him.

“Don’t you dare!,” Sonny called back, and smiled when he heard her laughing. 

When Sonny stepped into the bedroom, Rafael was sitting at the end of his bed with a little gift bag in hand. He was wearing the casual clothes Sonny had selected for him - both were items that Rafael himself had left behind during his weekend visits to Sonny’s apartment. 

His hair was damp, free of product, falling across his forehead. That, plus the smell of Rafael’s spicy vanilla soap lingering in the air, indicated the ADA had taken a good, warm shower. Sonny immediately felt like cuddling him. 

“Hey,” he said softly as he sat beside Rafael. “Everything okay?” 

“Yeah,” Rafael smiled and leaned in to place a kiss on his cheek. “I wanted to give you your gift.” 

“Not in front of my mother?,” Sonny raised an eyebrow. “Is this a sex toy, Rafael?”

He laughed, bumping their shoulders together with a playful roll of his eyes. “No. Just open it.”

Sonny undid the bright blue bow that tied the holographic silver bag and dig in, grabbing at very soft fabric before he pulled it out. Sonny’s jaw dropped when he realized what it was.

The day before, he had finally gotten his acceptance letter from Fordham after his enrollment was delayed by his undercover case. Classes would start soon, and Rafael and Olivia had been over the moon about it.

Now he was holding a soft, warm-looking, burgundy sweater with big letters in grey that read “Fordham University”. 

“How did you get this so fast?,” Sonny asked, holding it against his torso to get an idea of how it would look on him. 

Rafael smiled softly. “I’ve had it for a couple weeks.” 

Sonny turned to him, eyes wide and heart speeding. “You got it a couple weeks ago? Before I got my letter?”

“Of course,” he shrugged. “I knew you’d get him. Fortunately, the timing was perfect.” 

“You’re amazing,” Sonny breathed, and kissed him softly. 

“There’s something else in there,” Rafael said, pointing at the bag in Sonny’s lap. 

He reached inside to find a white envelope. Excited, Sonny ripped it open and pulled out two printed sheets. When he read them, his heart stopped. 

“I talked to your Captain,” Rafael said. “He agreed you needed some time off and cleared those dates for you.” 

Sonny blinked rapidly, rereading the informations in the papers again and again. “Rafael,” he breathed. “What is this?”

“Well, you were upset because you missed the trip with your sisters during that big heist case, so I made some calls,” he shrugged. 

“You bought me plane tickets to Italy?”

Rafael smirked. “I bought  _ us _ plane tickets to Italy. See, my name’s right here on this one,” he pointed, teasing.

Sonny dropped everything he had in hands. The tickets, the envelope, the sweater and the bag; everything, because he needed his hands free to push Rafael into the bed. 

He straddled his lap and kissed him, all tongue and teeth, burying his hands in Rafael’s hair to angle his head just right so he could deepen the the kiss. He felt Rafael melting under him, accepting the onslaught with a quiet little pleased hum. 

Eventually, he slowed the kiss down and their lips parted, only to then proceed to pepper Rafael’s face and neck with loud, wet kisses. 

“You’re amazing,” he said between one kiss and the other. “Incredible, remarkable, I don’t deserve you.” 

Rafael chuckled, his eyes closed as he let Sonny have his way. “You deserve everything, Sonny. Now, I believe Olivia is still in the apartment, so we better pause this little private party.” 

With one last peck to his lips, Sonny pulled away and helped Rafael up. “I have something for you, too.”

He went into his bedside drawer and removed a key, hiding it in the palm of his hand as he approached Rafael with a sheepish smile. His response was a smirk.

“I know you’re not gonna make the trip from Manhattan to Brooklyn as often as I’d like, but if you ever feel like it, I feel like you should have this,” he opened his hand to show the key. 

Rafael took it and smiled. “Well, this is certainly an incentive.” 

Sonny beamed. 

They made their way back to the living room to find Olivia sitting in an armchair, a glass of wine in one hand, her phone in the other as she giggled at something. Glancing quickly, Sonny noticed it was a meme of their current president losing his wig. 

“I was about to go ask if you guys needed a snack, or maybe a condom,” she joked. 

“Very funny,” Rafael rolled his eyes as he approached her for a hug. “Hi, Liv.”

“Thanks, ma, but I’m well stocked,” he teased with a wink as he made his way back into the kitchen to serve their lunch. 

“Don’t encourage her!,” Rafael called after him. 

As he grabbed the casserole, he heard Olivia and Rafael talking in fast hushes. 

“Did you give it to him?,” Olivia asked in a conspiracy tone. 

“Yeah, he loved it,” Rafael said.

“I told you he would,” she said in a cocky tone. “But did you tell him you’ve had the sweatshirt for two months?” 

Sonny’s eyebrows went up at that.

He heard Rafael shush her. “A month and three weeks, but no, I said it’s been a couple weeks.” 

“Didn’t want to sound too supportive?,” she teased with a snort.

“More like too obsessed,” he bit back.

Trying to hold back a smile, Sonny exited the kitchen and called his mother and his boyfriend over to the dining table, where each was served a glass of wine and a good portion of Sonny’s pasta dish. 

With Olivia on one side and Rafael on the other, Sonny felt his heart grow twice its size and thanked all deities for what fate had given him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There we go! Now, I've got two little one shots ready for next week.
> 
> Oh, the dish Sonny was making was a version of a delicious pasta a friend of mine and I make, but I have no idea what it's called. It's just very homey and feels like comfort-food.
> 
> Please, let me know what you think of the ending, and don't forget to hit that little heart for a kudo. I'd love it if we reached 100 soon!! Thank you, darlings! <3

**Author's Note:**

> So here we are again, yet another multi-chapter fic for yall. This one is all done and edited, so I'll post one chapter per day of this week.
> 
> Let me know how you feel about this via comments and kudos! <3
> 
> PS: yes, Sonny works in the 99th precinct in Brooklin. Yes, like Brooklyn 99.


End file.
